Words Liam Friary
Image Cameron Mackenzie

For me, the act of getting into the outdoors is more about self-preservation than anything else. I do my best to limit the amount of digital media and news I consume – but shit, there are a few things that aren’t in balance at present.

I find the balance can be restored by riding bikes in the outdoors – or anything else that takes me outside, for that matter. Sometimes I’m alone but more often than not I’m with others. Being with other people can help you unravel the mess in your head. I did this recently and found that talking candidly whilst pedalling a push bike is quite satisfying. As they say, “a problem shared is a problem halved”. These bike chats are often far-flung, like some of the places we ride. I’m grateful to those people whose ear I chew off whilst they’re trying to enjoy a mountain bike ride.

This happened recently, down in Rotorua. On the way down, I sent Gaz a message and said I’d be in town for a few days and could ride either that afternoon or the next morning. He immediately responded and said; “tomorrow morning looks good. Or both!” A few exchanges later, the last message read: “Let me know as soon as you get here.” I pulled up at Waipa, threw on my gear, got my bike out and Gaz arrived ready to ride. We started talking immediately and didn’t stop for the two-hour ride nor post-ride beers. I think we both solved the world’s problems, but probably mainly our internal thoughts, during that session. I put my rooftop tent up in the dark, ate a wrap filled with tuna, and turned in happy to not speak again for a moment. The next morning, the same programme followed but we replaced beers with coffee. I pulled away feeling quite cooked from the ride but like a weight had been lifted. The ride exhausted me physically, and the chats helped me clear space mentally. There’s something about doing completing a hard task that allows the mind to be open. Perhaps it’s the uninterrupted space that comes from it or the stimulus when thinking about the line choice in front of you. But whatever it is, I need more of it. The balance often gets out of kilter, but for me it’s about going back to the basics of outdoor pursuits, with mates.